Cap feed for double seaming machines



Nov. 14, 1933.

H. L. GUENTHER CAP FEED FOR DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1928 4 sheets-sheet 1 l ||||||ll :lllillll NOV. 14, 1933. H. GUENTHER 1,935,443

CAP FEED FOR DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1928 1% Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 14, 1933. y H. L.. Gur-:NTHER CAP FEED FOR DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINES FiledAug. 4, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. i4, 1933. l

H. l.. GUENTHER 1,935,443

CAP FEED FOR DOUBLE SEAMING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [/7 Ven for HmyL' 621er: /ler Patented Nov. 14, 1933 CAP FEED Foa DOUBLE .MACHlNES i Henry L. Guenther, Los Angeles, Calif; Application Augustv 4.1928.. serial No. 291,559@

12 claims. l 01; 11a-14) y This invention relates to can making machinery and particularly pertains tol a cap feeding mechanism for a double seaming machine,k

It is the principal object of the' present in- '3 vention to provide a c ap feeding mechanism for underface of a cap chuck by the mechanism with which the present invention is concerned and by 2o which the can and cap are then seamed together; said mechanism embodying the use of a novel no can no cap feed and means for rounding f the mouth of the can and insuring thatrit will .be properly assembledwith the associated cap.

The present invention contemplates the provision of Aa run along which cans are positively fed, `and adjacentto which a no cap 1.10 can rtrip .lever is supported to be encountered by the trav- `eling can feed lever acting .to render a cap feed .device operative and to insure that a cap will .be cut from a stack,v fed through amarker and .delivered to the can at the double seaming station.

. "Ihe invention is illustrated by -way of example in the yaccompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in plan showing .the .mechanism with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is a ,fragmentary View in side elevation showing the cap feed mechanism, the'marker andthe means for rounding the can.

' Fig, 3` is a fragmentary View in vertical section vas seen on the 'line 8--3 of Fig. 1, vand showing the cap feed interlocking mechanism.

Fig. e isa view in perspective drawn on an A.enlarged .scale and showing the operating pawl of the interlocking mechanism.

Fig. .5 'is a View 'inperspective drawn on an enlarged scale showing the lock vbar of the .interlocking mechanism.

Fia .is a View in plan showing afragmentary portion of a doiiblelseaming machine with the .cap feed associated therewithland with parts Vbroken away to nioreclearly `show the initial,r

l intermediate and iinalpositions of a cap, and

disclosing thegoperat'ing mechanismbin its iiitermediate position. v -l Fig. 7 is a Vfra'g'mentary lview inV plan similar to thatshown inFig. 6, disclosing vthecap feed mechanism in its finall position. i .i 60 Fig. 8 'is a fragmentary view inside elevaf tion show-ing the interlocking mechanism Yof fthe capfeed.v l y Fig. 9 is a fragmentaryview in vertical seetionf as seen on the line '9 9v of Fig. 6, and v65 showing the parts disclosed in Fig. 3 with the exception thatit -shows'fthe operating pawlwin its released position.- 1 i Fig.; l0 l is a fragmentary view in 'transverse u vertical section as'seen on the linel 10-1-0 of 70 Fig.y 6, and as `'showing a can run in the-manner in which Va 'can is positively fed .therealong Fig. 11 is a view in vertical section through the cap feedA mechanism as--seen onV ythe line r11-dipf Fig." 6, andVd-iselosing the cap `feed 75 Ymechanism with a cap in the marking position. Y Fig.- 12 isa view in vertical section through the capl feed vmechanism taken longitudinally `of its Apath ofi-travel and showing' it at-the extreme vrinitialfendof its stroke.'V vv Fig. 13 is a'fragmentaryview in ,flongitudin'al section through thecfapv-feed mechanism Vparticularly showing-the manner in -which acap is fed vsto-a -positionover 'a can andthe manner in which a canislifted to projectinto'the cap. 85 Figlll is a View in transverse vertical section Ythroughthe cap feed'mechanism .as seen on the line 14-14 of FigjlBfand particularly` showing the c ap -guidesandt'he manner for preventingre'- vtraf'ztion of a cap which has reached the'markfi-ng 90 station. l l. f 1 Fig'.r 15 is auview in'yertical Section through-the cap feed'mechani'sm'as seen on the lline 1 5-#15 of Fig. 14, andparticularlyjshows the cap catch atthe marking station. f H Fig. 1 6 is ajtransverse'sectional View online A 16-16 of Fig. 17.-

Fig, 17 isa longitudinalV sectionalY View on line A1'7-17 of16, showing the relation between the separating knife andthe .cap discharge'slot. 1,00

Fig. 18Y is a'fragmental detail of the vpitman connection to the driving head. Y Y A Fig. 19 isa view fin transverse section through 1 the marking pdevice as seenr onthe line '19-19 .Referring/ more particularlyv to the drawings, H1,() indicates -thefoor of a runway along which V*cans H1.1. ,are'fed-V This rnwavis .defined 'by spaced side rails :1 2 and "1.3 Whih'siiidethe can it advanced by an endless conveyor V14. 1x10 flights 15 which move into a position in the rear of a can and positively engage and advance the can along the runway. The ends of the guide rails 12 and 13 terminate in curved portions 17 and 16, respectively. These portions act to divert a can from its straight Vpath of travel and into one of a series of pockets 18, carried on a star wheel 19. The star wheel 19 is a part of a can double seaming machine generally indicated at 20. In the present instance an initial seaming station 21 occurs at the point at which the can is ejected from between the curved ends 16 and 17 of the guide rails of the runway. This double seaming station is defined by a lower chuck plate 22 carried on a vertically moving spindle 23 and an upper chuck plate24 carried on a vertically fixed spindle 25 and between whichV the can 11 and an associated cap 26 may Abe clamped inan assembled position. The exact mechanism Afor accomplishing this result is more specifically disclosed inmy copending application Double seaming machine, led concurrently e ring 30=receives the lower ends of the columns 28, and-is formed with a central opening through which the caps may pass as they are cut from the bottom of the stack of caps in the manner which` will be hereinafter set forth. The ring 30 is'mounted in spaced relation to and above apcap feed bed plate 31 by means of bolts 32 and spacing bosses l33. This-space is provided to accommodate a cap feed frame 34 which reciprocates horizontally beneath the cap stack. This frame comprises a cross-head 35, carrying a-pair of parallelfeed blades 36 and 37, respectively.` These blades extend forwardly and in .their extreme forward position their louter ends assume positions at diametrically opposite sides of the axis of the can onto which a can cap is to be fed.l 1n order to permit the cap to be .lifted free of theseforward ends when in the extreme forwardposition, the opposing faces of .theblades are cut away in arcuate form to provide, clearances for the vilifted cap, as clearly shown at 38 and 39 of Figs. 1, 6 and 7 of the drawings. The feed blades as shownv particularly in Fig. 13 of the drawings, ,are-formed with longitudinally extending grooves 40 along which one of the caps 26 may move. In Fig.'17 these grooves are shown in communication with the throat of a feed slot 41 indicatedin dottedlines in Fig. v13,l and which slots are on the opposing faces of the blades. These slots are so arranged j j `as to form a horizontallyv and rearwardly extending point 42 adapted to slip between the lowermost cap 26 of the stack and the superjacent cap, and to cut. this cap from the stack as the blades move inthe .direction of the arrow a as indicated in Fig. 13. This will separate the lowermost cap from the stack and move itv to a Hlower plane than the bottom of the stack and in the horizontal plane of the grooves 40. The feed blades move in unison with a pusher finger 43 which engages they rear edge ofthe cap cut from the stack'and shovesit forwardly along the .This conveyor carries a plurality of driving grooves 40 of the blade extensions. This forward movement is limited by the forward movement of the cross-head 35, which is driven in a manner to be hereinafter explained.

The distance which the cap is moved from beneath the stack and toward the first seaming station is calculated to cause the finger 43 to discontinue its advance of the cap when the cap has moved to a stampingposition beneath the stamping die 44 which is interposed substantially midway the length of the path of travel from the cap stack to the first seaming station.

The die 44 may be operated in any desired manner, but is here shown as operated by a rocker arm 45 carried on suitable brackets 46 and connected to an operating cam 47 on a driving shaft 48 by a pitman rod 47. The die 44 comprises upper and lower members carried by a fixed jaw 44 and a movable jaw 46', which jaws are pivoted to each other at 48. The movable jaw is operatively connected to the rocker arm 45 by a shackle link 45. As the cap is moved forwardly by the finger 43 it passesbeneatha lock ball 49; as clearly shown in 15 of the drawings. This ball thus prevents retraction of the cap 26 when the feed blades are retracted, since the ball is yieldably held in ythe path of travel of the cap by a spring 5i). The ball and its spring are carried in an adjustable cage 51v secured by a screw 52 in an adjustable position with relation to a bracket 53 formed with a longitudinally extending slotted opening 54. t

A cap Vfeed pawl 55 is oscillatably mounted,V between the cutaway ends 3S and 39 of the feed blades 36 and 37, in the cap feed frame 34 by means of a pivot 56. This pawl swings vertically, and is positioned in alignment with the longitudinal center ofthe pusher finger 43, and isV intended to lsupplement the action of this finger in completing the delivery of a capfrom the stack to the first seaming station. A spring 57 iswdisposed under the forward end of the pawl 55 and yieldably holds its point 53 in its uppermost position while permitting it to be depressed as the feed carriage is retracted and the pawl is moved beneath a cap temporarily held by the lock ball 49 at the marking station. Forward movement of the feed carriage will cause the point 58 of the pawl 55 to engage the rear edge of a cap at the marking station and to move it forwardly into a counterbored recess 59 of a cap supporting ring 66. This ring has 'a central center opening 61 therethrough, the wall of which opening tapers downwardly and outwardly as indicated at 62. The axis of the opening 61 i is in. longitudinal alignment with the chucks 22 and 24 of the first seaming station and when` a can is moved to the rst seaming station it will ybe disposed beneath said openings and centrally aligned therewith. v

The star wheel 19 as previously described, is formed with a plurality of pockets i3 adapted to receive the cans.y These pockets engage the cans in a plane lower than the lip of the can and are struck on an arc which will conform to the contour of a can of a particular diameter being passed through the machine and will embrace substantially one half of the circumference thereof. When the can is at lthe seaming station it is' embraced upon the opposite side of the recess Vby a semicircular mold member63. This member is carried by the feed blade structure cf the cap feed mechanism, and is secured thereto byV a bracket 64 and cap screws 65, for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth;

path'of travel of lthe carriage.

K Thecap feedv structure carriage which includes the crosshead and feed blades 36 and 37, normally stands in an inoperative position disconnected from any actuatingmechanism. This is` controlled by the'movement of the no` can no cap trip lever 66,V which 'has-a forwardly projecting end extending into-the path' of 'travel of a can being fed along the runway and between the guide rails 12 and 13. The lever 66vextends horizontally and is carried upon a pivot 67 mounted inthe floor` of the can runway and at'the side thereof; An extension 68 of thisflever'engagesA pitman rod 69 which is pivotally secured to'ya lever` arm 70. The lever arm 70 isfixed tothe outeren'd Vof a horizontally extending' pin 7l which extends through the bed plate ofthe cap feed mechanism and is rotatably mounted therein. Secured upon the inner end ofthe pin 7l and extending through a slotted'opening72' in the bed plate is an operating pawl 73.` This pawl', as more clearly'shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, has a pointed bladelike end-74 adapted to facilitate its-entryinto an opening 75 Vin a lock bar 76. This b'aris slidably mounted between vthev guides 77 vand 78^carried by and forming a part of the cap feed carriage, and by which `the lock barV 76'may be guided ina movement lateral to the By referenceto Fig. 6 of the drawings it will beseen that the carriage is in its forward position with'the feed blades disposed in relation to the cap stack, as more clearlyv shown in Fig. Y13 of the'drawings, and'it is to be understood that it is in this position that the cap feed carriage normally stands at rest until actuation of the no can no cap lever 66 by the presence of a canin the runway. kMotive power is provided for the cap' feed carriage by ya driving head 79 Y which reciprocates'in a horizontal plane at the 40T rear of the cap feedcarriageand is provided with a lock notch 8o in its side with which the lock bar 76 may register whenreleased so that upon retraction ofY the `driving head 79 the cap feed carriage will move 1in unison therewith and will then be moved forwardly on the reverse stroke o-f the driving head. l J

The .driving head is provided with an extension 81 projecting through a slotted opening 82 in the floorof the bed plate, and which is acftuated vthrough suitable pitman and wrist pin connections 83' pivotally secured'to the outer end of an oscillating arm 84. VThis arm moves hori- Y zontally, and is carried upon a pivot 85. `A cam arm 86 is secured to the pivot pin 85 and is'provided with a pin roller '87 projecting into a cam slot 88 formed around the circumference of a barrel cam 89. This cam is'mounted upon the drive shaft l48 and insures that the cap `feed mechanism and the vmarking mechanism will move in synchronism.l A sprocket wheel 90 is also carried on the driving shaft 48 and is ntted with a sprocket chain 91 extending to a sprocket ona jack shaft 92. This shaft carries a sprocket 93y around'which the vcan feed chain 94' is placed.

' rBy this arrangement the can feed and cap feed -rnechanism operate .in synchronism.

In operationk of the present invention, cans are delivered to the runway 10 by a suitable feed and timing means, and are placed in a position @where they will be successively engaged by flights r15 carried on the sprocket" chain 94. This will cause a can to be positively advancedalongthe can runway and guided between the sidevrails 12v and 13. As it advances it will encounter the arc- Vuate'face of the no can 'no cap lever fiwhich Vvis normallyfdisposed inthe path of travel of the can and at one side thereof. ..As the can advances it willwedge against the arcuate face of the lever ldand vcause it to swing in the direction of the arrow by as indicated inV Fig. 1-. A' swinging action will take place around the vertical pivot 67 and willmove 'the pitman rod 69 inthe {direction of the arrow .c'as indicated in Fig. 1, and against thetension of a spring 95. A pull on the pitman rod 69 will-cause the lever 70 to swing and rotate the shaft'71 so as to move the operat- -ing pavvl 73 'from' its-locking position as shown in Fig'. 3, to'its releasing position asfshown beneath the ook bar 76 and out of the slotted recess 75 in the lower facethereof. This will permit the lock bar 76 to move laterally to the cap feeding means under the influence of a .tension spring 96 andinto the path of travel of the drivv ing head 79 which constantly reciprocates above the floor ofthe cap feed table. The driving headA upon its nextforwardstroke, atV whichtime it.

is moving in the direction of the arrow d as indicated -in Fig. 1, will engage the endof the lock bar 76 Yon the taper facey 97 of the driving headand temporarily force it rearwardly so that the bar may then fallinto the lock recess of the driving head with which it will then register. This action will cause the driving Vhead 79. to be locked to thercap feed carriage and will act to move the cross-head 35 and .the feed blades 36 and 37 with it, and initiallymove in a reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow fd in Fig. 1. The result will be that the points' 42 of the feedV blades will enter between thelowermost moves forwar-dlygas indicated in Figs. 6v and 1'1 of the. drawings.' This advance action is brought about by the'pusher finger 43. which moves the cap to a position` beneath the marking' die 44 and in advance ofthe lock ball '49, as shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings.` In theevent that anerating pawlY 73'is`thus maintained in its inoperative position, it will be evident that the drivling head`79 and the cap feed-carriage will remain interlocked so'that upon the next rear stroke of the" carriage another cap `will befcut from the bottom-of the stacl; and kwill be advanced to the marker. Simultaneous with this action, however, it is necessaryv to move Ythe cap which has just been marked, from the'marking Astation to the double seaming station. This is brought aboutk l by the feed pawl 55 which is carried in the for- .ward fend of the carriage and uponfthe rear stroke thereof passesbeneath the cap which is 'held against retraction bythe lock ball 49. After passing beneath this cap the pawl thenswings upwardly due to the expansive action Yof the spring 57 and its point 58 engages the rear edgek of the cap, which has been4 previously deposited at the marking station and will then advance this cap onto the supporting ring 60 `where it willv assume a position at restinthe counterbored recess 59 of this ring. Simultaneously with this advance' movement .0f the cap,l cap feed carriage-will :other can is fed along the runway l0 and the opadvance the mold member 63. This member will cooperate with the recess 18 at the star wheel -19 to embrace and compress the can then present at the seaming station and will hold this can in a properly rounded condition even though it has been previously distorted. While the can is thus held, the lower chuck 22 lifts the can and forces the otherwise distorted lip of the can upwardly through the opening in the cap supporting ring 60 as is dened by the outwardly iiaring face 62 thereof. This will insure that the ange around the mouth of the can will be maintained in a rounded condition, and that immediately after passing through this beveled opening it will be projected into the grooved e-dge of the cap which is awaiting with the result that prior to the release of the can from the star wheel 19 and the mold member 63, the cap will be properly tted over the can and its marginal flange will engage the ange around the mouth of the can to prevent the can from again being distorted. When in this assembled condition, a can and cap may be seamed together by a suitable double seaming mechanism.

It will thus be seen that by the structure here disclosed, it is possible to feed a can to a double seaming machine while insuring that the cap feed mechanism will not be actuated unless a can is fed, and thereafter insuring that the cap will be consecutively moved to marking and seaming stations, arriving at the latter station coincident with the arrival of the can which initiated the feeding of the respective cap, and it will further be seen that by the structure here disclosed caps may be rapidly out from a cap stack and fed to the marking and seaming machines at high speed `and in a manner to be easily assembled with the can while means are operating to round theV can and to maintain it in its rounded condition until a cap has been applied thereto.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing Vfrom the spirit of the invention' as claimed.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- In a double seaming machine having a seaming station and a can runway along which cans f move to said station, cap stacking means associated withsaid seaming station, a cap carriage adapted to reciprocate beneath the stacking means, said carriage having parallel blades engaging diametrioally opposite edges of the lowermost cap in the stack to remove the cap fromthe stack as the carriage moves to a retracted positionjthe carriage having means for positively ,engaging the cap thus removed from the stack and advancing it to the seaming station on the advance movement of the carriage, said carriage normally being at rest, a driving head Vat one end of the carriage, means for constantly reciprocating the same in the plane of the carriage, lock means by which the driving head may be disposed in operating relation to the carriage to cause the carriage to move in unison therewith and means whereby the presence of a can in the runway will permit actuation of the lock-means.

2. In a double seaming machine having a seaming station and a runway along which cans are delivered to said station, a cap feed mechanism comprising cap stacking means, a cap carriage adapted-to reciprocate 4beneath the stack, means forming a part of said carriage for removing the lowermost cap from a stack of capasmeans forming a part of said carriage for advancing said cap to a point intermediate thestack and the seaming station and other means forming a part of the carriage to act during the second stroke thereof to advance said cap from said intermediate position to said seaming station and a constantly operating driving means for said. cap carriage normally disconnected therefrom.

3. In a double seaming machinehaving a seaming station-and a runway along which cans are delivered to said station, a cap feed mechanism comprising cap stacking means, a cap carriage adapted to reciprocate beneath said cap stacking means, means formingv a part of said carriage for removing a lowermost cap from the stack of caps, means forming a part of said carriage for advancing said cap to a point intermediate the stack and the seaming station and other means forming a part of the carriage to act upon the second stroke thereof to advance said cap from said intermediate position to said seaming station, a constantly operating kdriving means for said cap carriage normally disconnected therefrom, and means effected by a can passing along the can runway to the seaming station whereby the driving operation of the carriage may be initiated.

4.-. In a double seaming machine having a seaming station at which a can and cap are assembled, a can runway along which cans may travel to said station, a cap runway leading directly to said station, means for positively feeding cans along the runway to the seaming station, cap stacking means, a marking device positioned intermediate the cap stack and the seaming station, and means for first moving a cap from the cap stack to the marking device and means to move the cap from the marking device to the seaming station coincident with the delivery of a can thereto.

5. In a double seaming machine having a seaming station at which a can and a cap-are assembled, a can runway along which cansl may travel to said station, a cap runway, means for positively feeding cans along the runway to the seaming station, cap stackingV means, a marking device positioned intermediate the cap stacking means and the seaming station, means forfirst moving a cap from the cap stack to said marking device and subsequently moving Ythe cap from the marking device to the seaming station coincidentally with the delivery of a can thereto, said cap moving means being normally at rest, constantly moving means by which said cap moving means may be operated, means for establishing a driving connection between said cap moving means and the constantly operating means and means normally holding said cap moving means and driving means in a disconnected relation to each other except when a can passes along the runway to the seaming station.

6. In a double seaming machine having a seaming station to which cans and caps may be conrsecutively fed, a star wheel formed with a pocket adapted to embrace substantially half -of the circumference of the can, a horizontally reciprocating cap feed member, a cap supporting ring `at the seamingv station and onto which the cap is delivered, Va mold vmember carried therewith and cooperating with the star wheel torembrace and round a can, and means for lifting the can while held by said mold member to project its mouth into the annular'recess Iof thecap prior to the Iperformance of the double seaming operation thereon.

7. In a cap feeding device for seaming machines, a constantly reciprocating driving head, reciprocable cap separatingknives, a pivoted key, means operated by cans in transit to release the pivoted key, andspring pressed means to effect union betweenrsaid driving head and said reciprocable cap separating knives when said key 'has 1 from any actuating mechanism, and means whereby said driving head and said carriagevmayr be connected and reciprocated as a unit.

9. In a cap feeding device for seaming machines, cap stacking means, a constantly driven driving head out of contact therewith, a cap carriage, said carriage being normally in an inoperative position disconnected from any actuating mechanism, and means whereby said driving head and said carriage may be connected and driven as a unit. y

10. In a cap feeding device for seaming machines, ya cap feed mechanism comprising a cap stacking means, a constantly driven driving head out of contact therewith, a cap carriage, said carriage consisting of a cross-head carrying a pair of parallel feed blades to carry a cap adjacent the seaming means, and means whereby saiddriving head and said carriage may be connected and driven as a unit.

` 11. In a cap feeding device for seaming machines, a cap feed mechanism comprising a cap stacking means, a constantly reciprocating driving head out of contact therewith, a reciprocable carriage, said Ycarriage consisting of a cross-head carrying a pair of forwardly projecting parallel feed blades, and means whereby said driving headv and said carriage may be connected and reciprocated as a unit. v

12. In a cap feeding device for seaming machines, a constantly reciprocating driving head,

reciprocable separating knives, a reciprocable carriage, said carriage being normally in an inoperative position disconnected frorn any actuating mechanism, a pivoted key, means operated by cans in transit to release vthe pivoted key, and spring pressed means to effect union between said driving head and said reciprocable separating knives and said carriage when said key has been released.

HENRY L. GUENTHER. 

